Essential exploratory excavations to help inform the outline design of the vital Beach Management Scheme for Sidmouth have been carried out.

East Devon District Council has appointed a local specialist geotechnical contractor South West Geotechnical, working in conjunction with Axminster Excavators, to undertake investigations into ground conditions on Sidmouth Beach and East Beach.

The works that took place last week involved excavating small trenches and recording the properties of the materials that are found beneath East Beach and Sidmouth Beach.

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Investigations are focused on areas where the council is considering construction of one, or possibly two rock groynes on East Beach, and around Port Royal Groyne and the River Sid Training Wall on Sidmouth Beach, where the council is considering options to improve maintenance access onto East Beach, which could include shortening these existing structures.

The information will assist the council’s consultants, Royal Haskoning DHV, with the outline design for the Sidmouth Beach Management Scheme, which is due to begin early in 2018, following completion of the initial phase of computer modelling. The outline design will determine the overall geometry of any new structures, or modifications to existing structures.

Nick Wood, Project Manager for South West Geotechnical, said: “It’s great to have the opportunity to work on a local scheme, in an area we know well as visitors, as well as from geological journals and conferences.”

Work on Sidmouth beach

Cllr Phil Twiss, the chairman of the Sidmouth Beach Management Scheme steering group, said: “These investigations are an essential part of our studies to move forwards a scheme to maintain and improve the town’s protection from flooding and I’m pleased to see East Devon continuing to make good use of local expertise.”

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The beach management scheme aims to maintain the protection of Sidmouth town from flooding and to reduce the erosion on East Beach through the preferred option – S1 – which was identified during the production of the Sidmouth and East Beach Management Plan (SEBMP).

Option 1 - The preferred option that the beach management plan for Sidmouth has identified is to construct one or two new rock groynes along East Beach over a distance of up to 200m east of the River Sid and to modify the length of the seaward end of the River Sid training wall and East Pier rock groyne to improve sediment transport between Sidmouth Town Beach and East Beach. This would be supported by importing new shingle and moving shingle along the beach as required.

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Option S1 would involve the replenishment of Sidmouth Town and East Beach with shingle, as well as the possible construction of one or two new rock groynes on East Beach and alterations to the River Sid’s training wall adjacent to Port Royal.